Life has been BUSY...and we are 28 WEEKS!!!

These past two weeks have been full of fun and BUSY, BUSY! Frank and I stayed home last week and tackled some DIY projects. We made a headboard together. I found a design online and just knew my handy hubby could cut the wood for me. I ordered some fabric, batting, and foam and once it arrived we were ready to go. It turned out GREAT. Frank did such a good job cutting the wood and attaching the foam (with spray adhesive) then we tackled nail gunning the batting and fabric on together. It took us a little trial and error to get the fabric just right, but in the end I LOVE it. It is not perfect, but well worth the time and money we put into it. We could not afford to buy something like this in a store and it's one of a kind. If anyone wants to know how we did everything I would love to help you. Here is our finished project!

Frank pointed out that one side is slightly off. I DO NOT CARE!!! I am just very thankful that my husband is willing to make things for me! He is so handy!

I also made a wreath for my friends shower I hosted this weekend. It was a little more time consuming than I thought it would be. I had to individually hot glue all the moss on to the straw wreath and that took FOREVER! Frank was done cutting the wood for the headboard before I was done and I had been working on it since Friday night. In the end it was well worth it. I LOVE how it turned out. I can use it for another friends shower in a couple months that I am cohosting and then again once baby Wilson is here. I will just change the tiny wood letters to match whatever monogram is for that baby! Thrify!

We went to church on Sunday and Frank snapped this pic of me in all my 27 week belly glory! Baby and mommy are doing great! He kicks and moves around constantly and I LOVE it. I am feeling more and more swollen as the weeks go by and work kicks my butt harder than it used to. But all and all I CANNOT complain! We are just hanging in there. I have pretty much finished his nursery besides a few little things so I will do a post on it later this week. I love sitting in there and dreaming about when he is FINALLY here. I know he will be here before we know it, but being preggers for ten months can get OLD!

The rest of the week I spent working and finalizing all the things I needed for my friend Katherine's shower. I was a little worried that we might get bad weather on Friday so I went ahead and got all the food and supplies I needed Friday AM after work. My sis and her bf came to stay with us Friday night. I was a little sleepy headed from not getting too much sleep after work Thursday night, but we had fun. We ate dinner and my sis helped me puff some pom poms for the shower, and put together the wish tree table I set up. Then we played a really fun game called Mad Gab. It is addicting and super funny when the person trying to guess the phrase is basically saying the phrase but has no clue. That was me a couple times! I love that my sister's bf lives here in Charleston and I get to see her when she visits him. I miss our crazy, wild beach days and nights out though. Oh the days!!!

Saturday, Frank and I headed to Columbia so I could get fitted for a dress I am having made for the wedding he is in next week (In Martha's Vineyard)! I feel pretty fat and blah these days so I wanted something to help me feel pretty. Annabelle Laroque is the lady that made my wedding reception dress and I know this one will be just as amazing! It is to the floor (to cover the cankles) and navy and cream. She is going to add a little sash to to snazz it up. I will be able to wear it to another wedding here in Charleston too. We also hit up Hobby Lobby (of course) and Frank got a wood sign and letters to paint for little baby Tyler. He is so cute. I didn't even buy anything. Now that is a SAD day! Once we headed home it was time for more baby shower planning and some relaxing.

Sunday was the BIG DAY! It was so fun to get to do this for Katherine and baby Tyler. It is her first baby and I am so excited for her and Michael. It has been super fun being preggers with her and my other bestie Anna (all with boys). KK is four weeks ahead of me and Anna is about 10 behind. I cannot wait for our little fellers to play together. I just love these two girls!

We had such a GREAT time. Anna made these AMAZING candy pops as favors for me! She is such a good little baker. She can do cupcakes and cakes too. She is just too cute. She is like my mini me (WWAAAYY mini). I just love her!

Too cute!!!


Allyson brought a cake that was so yummy and the CUTEST thing. Luckily we could just take the baby off the tope and didn't have to eat him! HA!

Alicia made a yummy alcohol punch and we also had a yummy blue non-alcohol punch that I made. They were both big hits. And Colleen made a super cute diaper cake that was perfect for KK. I also did little things for Tyler like a wish tree where you filled out a card with all your wishes for him as he grows up. We also signed a little Goodnight Moon book for him (KK's fav) and gave books instead of cards for little Ty! I decorated with a onsie garland on the mantle and gave KK 12 months worth of little onsie stickers to take Tyler's pics every month. That way she can see how he changes over his first year. I also had little cutouts with his name and candles all around...and his ultrasound pic. We also HAD to have pom poms. A party is not a party without those. It was all super fun and I could not have done it without Frank to help. He is so great when it comes to those things. He is such a great husband. Also, all the girls who came and helped make things...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! You are all the best! I know Katherine felt loved and that is the whole point! I can't wait to start planning little Anna's shower soon! It will have to be just as amazing! Here are a few pics from the party!



Wish tree and book signing station!



Desserts!

"See how I grow" garland

Mommy of honor!!!


Today I SLEPT ALL day!!! Now I am ready for two nights of work (I think). I have my glucose test this Thursday so I will do a post later this week with those results (hopefully good) and the babies room. Then I will be packing and working three nights before we leave for Boston next Tuesday. This should be our last CRAZY busy few weeks. Life is busy, but really, really GOOD too!!!

Officially the WORST blogger EVER!!!

So, It has been a LOONG time since I last blogged. My weekly pregnancy posts have falllen to the wayside! I promise I will be back on my A game next week. With our WONDERFUL Ireland vacation and getting ready to head out of town yet again September 6 (for Frank's best man's wedding) I have just been running around CRAZY. I worked three nights in a row as soon as we got home last week and was just pooped Sunday! I think I was still recovering Monday, and yesterday had a girls day with two wonderful preggo friends..Anna and Katherine. We went to Columbia and met up with Anna's mom (so sweet and fun). I headed over to Laroque to have a dress made by the wonderful Annabelle (she made my feather wedding dress) for the wedding coming up. I wanted to feel pretty at the wedding since I will be about 30 weeks preggo and Frank is the best man. I can't wait to see what the finished product looks like. I will be able to wear it to another wedding in September we have and could even get it cut short after the pregnancy to wear alot more. I think it is going to be SUPER cute. Last night when we got home (after driving home through an AWFUL thunderstorm) I got busy crafting on some of the goodies I picked up at Hobby Lobby in Columbia. After going on three years of living in Charleston I still can't believe there is NO HOBBY LOBBY!!! It is a crime! And Columbia has TWO!!! No fair! Especially now that the baby is coming and with the two showers I am throwing I just can't stand it. They already had Thanksgiving and Christmas goodies out and it made me so excited for the fall. I wish my buddy Jessica was with me to wonder around looking at all the fun stuff. Her and Nicole are coming to visit in January after the baby comes so we will HAVE to make a trip to hit up the after Christmas deals. That is when I get most all my holiday decor. Well, we had a GREAT day getting fitted, having lunch and shopping. We went to a really cute baby store and Anna found some things that really got her excited about decorating her sweet little ones nursery. I can't wait to see Anna and Katherine's nurseries soon. I think it is sooo fun that we are all three having boys together!!! Hopefully they will be the best of friends.

So on to the most AMAZING trip of our lives.....IRELAND!!!

We saw a bunch a BEAUTIFUL scenery, ate a TON (mostly I did), met some wonderful locals, wondered around little towns and drove down little windy roads (scared to death). We drove up mountains, walked up mountains, saw tons of cows and goats and sheep. Ate some more! Frank enjoyed some Guiness while I kept on eating. We just had the most amazing time. I could go on and on and on FOREVER!! I'll save you from that, but if anyone is thinking of taking a trip to Ireland we would recommend it 100%. We loved using Brendan Vacations (thanks Kerri) and it was just so fun to be able to drive around on our own and not have a strict schedule, but still have a final destination every night. We will NEVER forget this trip and hope to go back soon (maybe with our little boy and Frank's mom). It is just an amazing country with amazing people and history. The only negatives (and they were worth it) were our first car not having power steering and the flights. I just don't do as well on them being pregnant. I am glad I didn't know what I was getting myself into beforehand so I wasn't too worried (prob not good). I swelled up like a marshmallow!! It was national geographic like...ha!! Then poor Frank did not do well with the last hour of turbulance coming home and my head tried to explode with the weather change. Fun, fun!!! It was all worth the amazing adventure! We would do it again in a heartbeat!

Here are a few pictures from the 400 we took!

Me no likey!

But he sure does!

First purchase in Ireland for our little one!

Breathtaking!

Now this is what I am talking about!

My love!

These were a a lifesaver!! I know...SEXY!

My favorite dessert of all time!

So now we are home...getting back to the daily grind. The baby is doing GREAT! I go Friday for my 24 week app (a week late) and hopefully he is just a growing in there. He sure does like the kick his mommy! I felt him more in Ireland than ever. He must have LOVED all the food I gave him. We are just at 25 and half weeks and feeling great! I will do a 26 week post Monday and then promise to be a better blogger. I don't really know why I am so worried that people may have missed me. This blog is really just for me anyway. I am now on my way to meet little miss Kinley Ryan Babel.  My friend Tessa  and her husband Ryan just welcomed her yesterday so I am headed to visit her and then off for work. I cannot wait to get my hands on that sweet angel. Her daddy is going to need to lock her up in 15 years bc she is one of the few girls I know of so many preggo friends. Everyone is having BOYS! I know her mommy is so happy to have here here finally. I hope everyone has a GREAT rest of the week!